“We are expecting much from Vladivostok"
Indian External Affairs Minister Subramanyam Jaishankar told Kommersant about strategic partnership with Russia
Kommersant, 29.08.19
By Sergei Strokan
Indian External Affairs Minister Subramanyam Jaishankar visited Moscow, where he held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. His visit was the last revision of hours before the Fifth Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok, whose chief guest this year will be the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi for the first time. Before the departure to Delhi, Subramanyam Jayshankar told the correspondent of Kommersant Sergei Strokan about a new stage in the “privileged strategic partnership” between the two countries and the place that Russia occupies in India’s global priorities.
- This is your first visit to Moscow after you headed the Indian Foreign Ministry in May. What were you talking about with Sergei Lavrov?
- In diplomacy, we select words very carefully, and they mean a lot. We call our cooperation with Russia “a special and privileged strategic partnership”. I want to emphasize these two words - “special” and “privileged”. My talks with Sergei Lavrov became a reflection of this. We discussed bilateral relations, we were preparing for the fifth Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok and the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, we discussed the situation in the world and in our regions. It was a conversation that only true friends can have.
Regarding the upcoming forum in Vladivostok, we have made significant progress. I think we will have many agreements and we will get a very big practical result.
We have reached mutual understanding on many issues. Among the issues that we discussed are the events in Afghanistan, Europe, East Asia and the situation in those international organizations that include India and Russia: the UN, BRICS, SCO. There are issues in which our interaction is of particular importance. Among them is the fight against terrorism.
Besides, I expressed my gratitude to Minister Lavrov for a complete understanding of the latest legislative steps of India on Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh (historical and geographical area in India . - “Kommersant” ). This position was formulated in a Russian statement of August 9. This statement contained full support for our position and emphasized that the changes were fully implemented within the framework of the Indian constitution. Russia has always proceeded from the fact that all issues between India and Pakistan should be resolved bilaterally in accordance with the Simla Agreements and the Lahore Declaration.
When discussing the situation in the world, we held similar positions on so many issues. At the same time, we managed to advance on all practical issues of bilateral relations concerning how to develop business cooperation, improve military-technical relations, and increase the flow of tourists. So I am very pleased with my visit. As for Sergei Lavrov, among other Foreign Ministers he can be considered a model in many respects.
- Your arrival in Moscow is taking place on the eve of the Fifth Eastern Economic Forum, the chief guest of which will be Prime Minister Modi for the first time. What do you expect from the forum?
- We are expecting much from Vladivostok and are carefully prepared for this forum. A high-ranking Indian delegation visited the Far East, which included representatives of the Indian states, we discussed a lot of far-reaching specific business proposals related to the Far Eastern region. We see great potential for growth here. Until recently, we collaborated more with the western regions of Russia, but now we are discovering the huge potential of its eastern regions.
- This year the forum in Vladivostok coincides with the Russian-Indian summit. How would you define in more detail the meaning of the Russian-Indian privileged strategic partnership?
- “I want to draw attention to various aspects of the privileged strategic partnership.” The relationships between such partners are very structured and complementary. The world is changing, countries are changing, but if relations have a solid foundation, they will remain stable and positive. Over the past 50-60 years, the world has changed beyond recognition. But look at the Russian-Indian relations - they have always been and remain stable and positive.
The second aspect of “privileged strategic partnership” is related to the fact that this format allows you to do very special things, sensitive and, at the same time, extremely important things, whether we are talking about military-technical cooperation, space exploration or other areas.
The third aspect is the special relationship between the leaders of our countries - Prime Minister Modi and President Putin. We have been and remain the witnesses of this relationship over the past five years. on the whole, these are the terms of the “privileged strategic partnership” of India and Russia.
- And what place does Russia occupy in the global priorities of India?
- Russia is a very stable factor in the Indian vision of the world. We, in turn, have always tried to be a sustainable factor in the Russian vision of the world. We consider the world a multi-polar one. The era of dominance of one, two or five powers is a thing of the past. Now in the world a new balance of forces and influence is being formed, which is formed by different regions.
In general, this is in many ways a much more complex organized world. I think that the era of alliances is also coming to an end. It is being replaced by the era of convergence, when countries are converging, mutually complementing each other on the basis of common interests. This is happening in relations between India and Russia.
In this increasingly multi-polar world, how key players will interact is even more important.
We pay special attention to Russia, are fully aware of its weight and influence in international affairs.
- At one time, you worked for many years as Ambassador to China and the United States. How do India's relations with these two global powers differ?
- In fact, I worked in these two countries - first in one, then in the other. Relations with each of them are very important for us, but at the same time they are very different in nature. Moreover, these two countries are our two leading trading partners.
As for China, it is our neighbor, it is another Asian culture, along with ours, and our relations have a long history. When most Indians talk about China, they primarily mean the enormous economic progress that the country has made, in a way this is an example of how the modernization of a huge society is being successfully implemented. After all, Chinese society, like Indian, has more than a billion people, and there are no other such societies in the world.
The rise of China has contributed to the formation of a multi-polar world that meets the interests of India.
Moreover, we have a territorial dispute with China, our political systems are very different from each other.
The USA is a democracy, a very influential and prosperous Indian diaspora lives in this country, which serves as an effective bridge between our societies.
At the same time, there is a very strong convergence between the United States and India on many key issues, in particular those related to the fight against terrorism, ensuring the safety of shipping, building a world where law and order are respected. Our views with the United States on many issues coincide, and we have strong economic, scientific and technical cooperation.
In total, as you can see, we have deep, meaningful relations with each of these two countries - China and the USA, although they are very different from each other.
- There is an opinion that India took a tough stance against Pakistan after the February terrorist attack in Pulwama (Jammu and Kashmir) and subsequent events. Is there a way to relieve tension?
-“You are asking the question as if the position that we are taking is something abnormal.” But look: this is our only neighbor who has problems in trading with us, a neighbor who could never create the most favored nation trade. A neighbor who does not want to ensure normal communication with India does not allow Afghanistan and other Asian countries to use their territory for relations with India. And most importantly, it is a country that for many years has been using terrorism as an instrument against India.
But let's ask any other country: if you had such a neighbor, how would you react to this? Would you always be so patient and disciplined as we have been doing this for so many years? So today you need to look directly into the eyes of this reality. I want to tell your readers: Pakistan is not only a problem of India, it is a problem of the whole world. Look at the different regions of the world where terrorists operate, and ask who trained them, financed. So this is a global problem.
We hope that someday Pakistan will abandon such a policy and become a responsible, normal neighbor, like all our other neighbors with whom we have excellent relations. This is the task to work on in collaboration with other countries.
- If we talk about the Indo-Pacific region, then your country is simultaneously inscribed in two triangles - Russia — India — China and the USA — India — Japan. What does this mean for Delhi politics in the Indo-Pacific?
- I have already said that we live in a multi-polar world where everyone interacts with everyone. The success of any diplomacy is as many agreements as possible and as little disagreement as possible. Our participation in each of these formats is one of the manifestations of the recognition of the global role of India. The fact that we can work simultaneously with Russia and China on the one hand, and with the USA and Japan - on the other hand, says a lot about us and the world we live in. This is a manifestation of our ability to bring together positions and contribute to the common cause when it comes to resolving issues that affect everyone.
- As a professional diplomat with 40 years of experience, you began your career in Moscow in the golden age of Soviet-Indian friendship. You later worked in many countries. How do you see the profession of a diplomat and the role of diplomacy in the modern world?
- Now we are already living in the golden age of Russian-Indian friendship. My career as a professional diplomat is over. I became a politician - a Minister who was a diplomat in past life. I see the situation this way: everything that happens in the world today affects the life of each of us to a much greater extent than it was 20, 40, 60 years ago. Today we live in a much more interdependent, interconnected world. In this world, it is not for one country to decide what is good, what is bad, who is right, who is to blame. Here it is necessary to develop a collective vision. This is the role and mission of diplomacy, which is becoming increasingly important.
Of course, diplomacy must defend national interests, but it also has a much greater responsibility. This is the task of building a more democratic and harmonious world uniting various countries, economies and cultures.
